The Same Bed
by Willpayforkyouya
Summary: War has broken out again and Howl is asked for help but the war isn't the only thing that has butterflies in Sophie's stomach. Rated for later Chapters. Kind of a sequel to Sickly Sweet...
1. In Which War Returns

((I'm back! Yes, I'm working on ANOTHER Howl's Moving Castle fan fic. Of course this one is not as developed, I just kind of...starting writing and this is what came out. I will have to get back into the swing of things and this fic is going to be of the Mature sort later on, mainly because of a request from one of my friends (who will remaine anonomus) and so this story is pretty much for her. I hope you guys like it. I'll try to think of a nice plot to put in here so it isn't just under-developed babble.))

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**In Which War Returns**

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"Markl, has the castle stopped moving yet?"

"No! We're still moving pretty fast, I think we've plowed over the rhododendrons!"

"Drat!"

The little boy pushed the door back shut, turning the knob and pulling it open again; hanging out of the doorframe, he scanned over the empty streets of Porthaven, the sky was dark with clouds as dark as granite, the foul stench of cannon fire made him wrinkle his nose and he pushed the door back shut again just as another warship rumbled overhead, making loose stones do a little jig in the cracks they had been resting in.

"Should we put out the fire?" he called up, turning the knob back down to the previous color, his hand resting on the knob still.

"No, Howl said to leave it going before he left."

Markl turned towards the stairs as he heard running feet descend them, a young woman with silvery hair in a lengthening braid appeared, holding onto handfuls of her dress to giver her legs the freedom to run. She managed to slow to a stop, clinging to the railing as she looked over at the fireplace where a fire of silver and white flames flickered in the grate. She could feel the heat vaguely where she stood.

"We'll…just h-have to remove—some of the logs so that it…gets smaller and the c-castle slows down." She panted, brushing her bangs out of the way.

Markl nodded, going to the fireplace and picking up the poker, pushing the logs away from the fire and the flame hisses and spluttered as if protesting before it started to die down, crackling in disapproval at its sudden dwarfing size. Markl laughed, it reminded him of Calcifer.

"Sophie…where did Master Howl go?" he asked, replacing the poker as Sophie had trained him to do rather then simply dropping it near the grate.

Sophie laced her fingers together and tensed her arms so that they were straight in front of her before she swung them back to her sides and took a few nervous steps towards the table, looking into the basket of eggs she had purchased earlier from the market in Market Chipping.

"Howl went…out." She said, eyes trailing over the white shells of the eggs to the ring on her left hand. The stone still gleamed like new and it still reminded her so much of Howl's. She couldn't help but abandon the eggs and touch the jewelry thoughtfully with her fingertips.

Yet the more she looked at the ring, the more she thought about Howl, and the more she thought about Howl, the more she missed him….

"Actually, Markl…Howl has gone to help with the new war." She said guiltily, lowering her hands so that they rested upon the rim of the basket. Her eyes on the eggs and yet looking right past them, mind trailing elsewhere, drifting off to her memories of Howl and the ominous black feathers sprouting out all over his flesh.

A chill ran down her spine, making her shiver and return to the present where her conscious ears hear only the crackle of the fire in the fireplace. She risked a glance back behind her at Markl and the child was staring down at his feet, twisting his fingers together.

"He didn't tell me he was going to help with the war…" he murmured.

"It came as a surprise to me too." Sophie said softly.

In fact, the war came as a surprise to everyone. Both of the kingdoms had been on peaceful terms ever since Prince Justin was returned but for some reason, another war has come up due to disagreements with the country to the south and now Prince Justin's armies were fighting and Howl was summoned for by the prince in spite of his dislike of the wizard. Now Howl was aiding the Prince in the war but as Sophie recalled, Howl was loosing his humanity the more often he became a bird-like creature. Was he using that method again?

Before Howl left, he made the fire in the fireplace and warned Sophie not to extinguish it. Howl intended to keep the castle moving so that the enemies would not try to hurt Sophie when they found out that he was assisting the prince and saw her as his weakness. It was for her safety, the safety of his wife…

"Markl, I think you should go check on the Witch of the Waste and her apprentice, I'm sure they will like the company. I'll stay here so that I can let you in when you get back."

The child nodded, "Alright."

He hurried over to the narrow closet where Sophie had hung the disguise cloaks and removed one, pulling it on and drawing up the hood. The Witch of the Waste always loved how he looked whenever he showed up as an old man and the apprentice would also get a kick out of it then ask to try it as well. It was funny watching a willowy old man parade about their little abode outside of Porthaven.

Sophie approached the door and turned the handle, opening it for Markl so that he could be on his way. To her surprise, the apprentice pulled the hood back down and ran to her, flinging his arms around her waist and burying his face in her stomach.

"You're worried about Howl as well…" she smiled thoughtfully, "I understand…he'll be alright, Markl."

He nodded into her belly and Sophie managed to pull him away gently, crouching down to eye level with him and cupping his face in her hands.

"I promise; he'll be home soon. Howl may be vain and childish sometimes but he is a great wizard."

* * *

Sophie couldn't recall how long it was since Markl had left but she was managing to feed one more log to the fire, noticing that the flame was about to splutter out in the ashes when the door began to rattle. The handle was red side down…it had to have been Markl…

Leaving her seat in front of the fire where she had been mending the hem of her plain dress, Sophie folded the dress over her arm and wondered down the steps, reaching out and turning the doorknob. She tugged the door open, taking a step back as a gust of wind buffeted her dress and she franticly pushed it back down, backing out of the wind just as something streaked inside and crashed into the wall on the other side of the room.

Sophie pushed the door shut and immediately turned to the creature that had flown inside and gasped upon seeing the mass of black feathers crumpled at the base of the wall just at the foot of the stairs, her chair that she had been sitting in was now in pieces scattered around the floor, her sewing basket knocked over with bobbins rolling over the boards, unraveling thread from spools.

Draping her dress over the railing of the stairs leading to the door, Sophie cautiously climbed the stairs and steadily approached the figure on the floor. It moved a little, slumping back down after the attempt and producing soft grunts and groans.

She recognized those grunts…

"Howl!"

She closed the gap in between them quickly, dropping painfully to her knees and turning over the birdman, his arm thudding onto the floor as she turned him and managed to pillow his head on her lap, touching his face.

"Howl? Howl!"

He opened his eyes slightly, lazily looking up at Sophie with a slight smile suddenly curving his lips; she hardly noticed that his feathers were disappearing as a human hand reached up for her face.

"I'm home." He said wryly.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" she asked, looking from his collision point on the wall to him and back again.

Howl touched her face, reaching up so that she held it still with both of his hands and sat up, leaning closer to her so that his lips came against hers in a light kiss. Sophie stiffened as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her against him, both of them having to shift for Howl to hold her effectively. He turned his head a little; opening his lips slightly against hers then closing them again almost like a fish. It was as if he was trying to…deepen their kiss.

Sophie pushed against him quickly, "This isn't the time for kisses! Howl; you need to let me know if you're alright!"

"I'm alright." He said, patting her head, "See, feathers are gone and everything."

He held out his arms, presenting himself to her. She cautiously looked him over, the feathers were indeed gone and he seemed alright other then the fact that his face was a little dirty and he smelled of smoke. She touched his face, turning it side to side for a moment before she leaned forward, pressing her forehead into his chest.

"I was worried…Markl was too…we were afraid that you—"

"Wouldn't come back?" he asked simply.

"Don't take it do lightly!" she snapped but didn't lift her head.

Howl fingered her braid with his with a considerate smile, running his hand so that he rubbed her back and left the braid alone. Her warmth was soothing and something he wanted to feel after a day of flying through the burning smoke and being swept by chilling winds. He wrapped his arms around her again, running his hands over her back slowly as he embraced her.

"You feel good…" he murmured against her hair, "And you smell wonderful."

"Don't say that." She said; feeling her face burn, "Don't lie to me, Howl."

He slipped a hand from her back, tilting up her face, "Never…in a million years through a billion curses, will I lie to you."

Once again, Sophie had a feeling she was as red as a cherry. This would have been a fine moment for Markl to return home…but he didn't.

"Sophie, you're my wife, aren't you?' he asked, taking her hands.

"Yes…why?"

"Why won't you sleep with me in my room?"

Sophie hung her head, "I-I don't know…"

"You don't know?" he craned his head down, trying to catch her eyes but she turned her face away.

The truth behind this was that Sophie was scared of sleeping in the same bed with Howl…he had snuck into the bed with her when she was sick but other then that she could not imagine being able to fall asleep in the same bed as him with them bound by marriage and no limits to how far things could go between them. She was afraid…

"You're lying to me, Sophie." He said, smirking.

"I-I'm not lying!"

He frowned, "That's not fair, I promised you that I wouldn't lie and now _you_ lie to _me_." He stuck out his bottom lip, pouting.

"Don't pout. Men don't pout, Howl." Sophie said, standing up and brushing off her dress but Howl caught her wrist, pulling her over once again as he was extended up on his knees, his face against her stomach as Markl's had been. She gingerly ran her hand over his tousled hair and he sighed against the fabric of her dress before slowly standing up, keeping close to her warmth.

Howl's expression was no longer the childish pout as he looked down at her face, his hands resting on her shoulders and eyes holding her firmly into place. He could feel how she tensed up under his serious gaze and that was how he could tell that she was lying, whenever she tensed up was because of a guilty conscience or something of the sort.

"Sophie…it might not seem like much to you, but I feel as if you don't like being near me…and we're married. Was I wrong to have asked you to marry me?"

"No, Howl." She shook her head, "I'm happy to be your wife! I really am glad, Howl. It's just…I'm afraid of what you expect of me."

The wizard slipped a hand behind her head and brought it to his chest, stroking her hair and messing up her braid a little but she didn't seem to mind. He closed his eyed, rocking a little from side to side, trying to comfort her from her fear. Of course he didn't really understand what she had to worry about since he could be a simpleton at times but it was best to comfort her rather then let her look upset like she did.

"Why don't you try it out tonight? I'll keep my hands to myself if that is what you're worried about. I need a shower and I'm really tired anyway so you should be safe."

Sophie hesitated when Howl placed a hand on the small of her back and started to steer her towards the staircase. He added a little pressure to his touch and she moved upwards.

"B-But the mess…I have to clean it up."

"I'll take care of it." He said dismissively, indicating she take another step up the stairs and he hung back as Sophie disappeared upstairs. He stepped back down onto the floor, backing up against the wall and pressing his back into it, sliding down back onto the floor and touching his side as he caught his breath. His breathing was heavy and his face paled as he sat there, his collectiveness vanished, leaving behind a sickly figure of his former self as if a spell had just been lifted…oh…a spell _was_ just lifted…

_My own kind…_

"You're going to have to tell her, you know…she'll find out that you were wounded and you'll never hear the end of it." A familiar voice said from the fireplace and Howl lifted his head, smiling wearily over at the returned Calcifer. "Come by for another visit Calcifer?"

"Yeah and it looks like I came in the nick of time. Good job on convincing her to go on up, another moment of that cuddling and I would have gagged and aside from that, she may have noticed that you're starting to bleed through those make-shift bandages."

Howl blank down at his side, the fabric was indeed stained with blood in a generously sized spot. "You don't miss a thing, do you?"

"After living with you for so long, I've learned that you _never_ stop lying."

"It was for her own good." He said quietly, glancing up the stairs, "I don't want her to get any more worries, Calcifer. Sophie's spent her life away from men and then she's suddenly living with them. She doesn't know what it is like to be a wife, let alone someone's lover and so she's scared. She is worried that she will disappoint me somehow."

He looked down at his ring that he had replaced onto his left ring finger the day they were married. "Sooner or later…Sophie will realize…that she's going to have to let me complete it."

* * *

"Do I look out of sorts still?"

Sophie looked up from where she was sitting on the end of Howl's bed as the wizard leaned against the doorframe leading into his bedroom. He wore the same childish smile that he always had and was already in his long shirt he used to sleep in; the shirt was tied shut though…that was a first. Sophie's hands were busy pulling on her braid, the little hair rope draped over her shoulder with a few strands of hair escaping the elastic holding it together.

Howl went to his bed and climbed in, looking over at the empty place beside him and patting it gently.

Sophie sighed, releasing her braid and climbing beneath the sheets with him, lying down immediately but Howl curled up under his sheets with his back to her. Was it safe?

Relaxing, she closed her eyes, turning over onto her side so that they were back to back and curling up into a ball as her realization of how silly she was to have been so frightened of sharing a bed with Howl sank in. She sighed, inwardly scolding herself as she tugged the covers farther up so that she was buried beneath them.

_I thought he would have been clingy or worse…_she thought, eyes peering about in the darkness, _I wonder if Markl has gotten back yet…Did Howl clean up that mess as he said he would?_

She felt him shift, turning over into another position.

_Wasn't I a simpleton to have lost my head…?_

An arm snaked beneath Sophie's waist and she gasped as she was suddenly against Howl again…only he was holding her from behind and his arm was around her, another one rested upon her abdomen. She could hear his soft breathing and feel his chest rise and fall…he was lulling, his fresh clean scent soothed her and she could feel the sudden weariness of sleep…

_I want to make you happy Howl…I love you…and I don't want to disappoint you…

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((I don't know if the characters sounded accurate here but I'm sick again, my writing is rusty and like I mentioned earlier, there is no plot behind this piece. Forgive me.)) 


	2. In Which A Gift Is Recieved

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**In Which A Gift Is Recieved**_

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Hmm…this is a nice surprise…

Howl smiled a little, propping himself up on his elbow and peering down at Sophie and leaning over towards her, gently brushing his lips over her ear, childishly blowing into it. Sophie mumbled something, writhing against him for a moment, protesting awareness to the world outside of her dreams. Howl kissed her cheek and she groaned, removing a hand from beneath the covers and trying to wave him away unconsciously.

"Wakey, wakey, Sophie." He whispered near her ear again.

"Hm? What is it?" she murmured, turning over and peering up at his covered window, the curtains were still dark, not a sliver of sunlight to reveal morning. Did he recover them or was it still night? "It's still night."

"I know." He smiled, "I just wanted to wake you up. Markl is home and I think he is wondering about us both."

"Markl's home?" she pushed herself up quickly, Howl leaning away to avoid being hit by her head.

"Yes, he made it obvious when he called for you." He said, pulling the covers away and moving over, climbing out as Sophie scrambled out of the bed and staggered across the floor, pulling her nightgown straight.

"I can't believe you talked me into going up there so early!" she said, pulling open his door and running downstairs.

Howl chuckled softly to himself, listening to the retreating thuds of Sophie's feet as she ran downstairs. He shook his head, amused by her silliness, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his thighs, running his fingers into his hair and pressing his forehead into his palms. His side stung with the tension from his bending over, the wound threatening to open again.

Straightening slowly, he touched his side gingerly, relieved not to feel the threat of wet coming through the bandages. He managed not to open it again.

"Master Howl!"

He lifted his head, managing to hide the wince and offering a slight smile to the child as he came through the door carrying a package in his arms. He stopped directly in front of him, holding out the package to the wizard, Sophie entering the room again after the child and smiling wearily over at Howl for a moment, she had accepted her silliness and he could tell she was regretting running downstairs in such a panic as she did.

"What is it?" he asked, taking the package, eying the brown paper like an excited child for a moment before he started to rip open the paper concealing the parcel from him.

"The Witch of the Waste said that it was a present for you and Sophie."

"A late wedding present?" Sophie murmured, arching her eyebrows. She didn't expect the witch to have sent them something what with how busy things were now and all…

Howl removed the lid to the box and peered inside, tilting back the lid and arching an eyebrow as he observed what was inside. He bit his bottom lip, lowering the box lid again and glanced over at Markl then Sophie. He shook his head slowly and stood up, handing the box back down to Markl.

"Hold onto this for me, Markl." He said, kneeling eyelevel with his apprentice, "But for now…you're going to bed."

"What?" Markl's face dropped. In the few years of service he had been in with  
Howl, the wizard had never told him to go to bed. Markl had always gone when he was tired and not a moment sooner, what brought this on? Was it something to do with the parcel he had received from the Witch of the Waste? He peered down at the box in his hands, starting to lift the lid but Howl brought his hand down upon it, forcing it back down.

"Don't question me." He said but his smile made the order seem more like a joke.

"Sophie?" Markl turned to the former hatter with a pleading expression and she came forward, standing behind Markl.

"I don't understand why you're sending him to bed all of a sudden. What has gotten into you, Howl?"

He stood up again, bracing his hands on his hips, his right hand much lighter then the other one but the two confronting him didn't notice.

"If I didn't do it then Sophie would have. If I recall correctly, you tell Markl to go to bed on occasions, do you not, Sophie?"

Sophie swallowed.

"So why find it awkward when a master tells his apprentice to go to bed? I see it no different then when you do it, Sophie and I believe the apprentice is supposed to _obey_ his master."

Markl frowned.

"There'll be a spell waiting for you tomorrow…" Howl bribed, beckoning Markl towards him and kneeling down once again. He cupped a hand around the boy's ear and whispered something to him that must have been an addition to the bribe for when he lowered his hand, the frown had been flipped upside down completely and the little boy's eyes were alight with excitement.

Howl tapped the boy's head with a knuckle, "Now go to bed."

Sophie was nearly tackled by Markl as he threw an arm around her and then disappeared out the door again, the slamming of his bedroom door proving the last sound they would be able to catch from him that evening.

As Howl went to the door, Sophie joined her hands together, twisting her fingers together as he pushed the door closed with an affirmative snap that signaled its complete closure.

"Why did you really send Markl to bed, Howl?" she asked when he slid his hand down the wood of the door and let it drop. He turned to her, still holding onto the same smile he had been offering to Markl as he braced his hands behind his back and approached her. "You can't get off with saying that it was because of my example. You wouldn't do something like that without a reason. A-And what was in that box?"

"A toy." He said, shrugging his shoulders as he stood in front of her with his voice a little haughty and his eyes glancing around the room.

"A toy?" Sophie released her hands but they were still rather close to one another, smoothing her nightgown a little as she followed him with her eyes, "Why did she send you a toy?"

He lowered his head, chuckling softly as he circled around her slowly, "She could have been playing with me and my childish nature." As he spoke he lifted his gaze to hers and stopped, turning his head to look at Sophie's face, a small knowing smile crept across his lips and he faced her again, stepping closer so that his bare feet touched hers.

"Or…she was giving it to someone else."

"S-Someone else?" Sophie asked, Howl brushing his fingertips over her cheek as he inclined his head.

"Someone we haven't met yet." He smirked.

Sophie jumped as Howl's hand rested on her waist and she started to look down as if to make sure that it was really her waist that he was touching when he tilted her face back up, catching her agape mouth with his and earning a surprised sound which he swallowed as he kissed her. The initial shock of being kissed so suddenly by Howl was not so big as it was for when she felt an exploring tongue. Her hands rested on his chest, fisting on the fabric of his shirt before she started to wrap her arms around him, his hands following her example but as Sophie tightened her embrace, Howl uttered a cry against her mouth and he pulled her away at arm's length, a hand covering his side quickly.

"Howl?"

"Don't worry about it…" he said, holding up a free hand, "It's nothing to worry about."

Sophie lowered her eyes to the hand over Howl's side, her eyes widening as she noticed the hint of red peeking out from under his hand. She pushed his hand away, grabbing handfuls of his shirt and tugging it up rather roughly, the wizard admitting defeat as his shirt was pushed up, exposing the generous amount of bandages wrapped around his waist.

"What happened?" she demanded, seeing the red patch on the bondage cloth.

"Nothing…"

"Howl, you're bleeding, you can't pass this off as nothing!" she snapped, glaring up at him, "And what's worse is that you didn't even bandage it properly, these are too loose." She pinched one of the strips of cloth between her fingers.

Sighing heavily, Sophie took his hand, "Come on, we're going to take care of this thing properly." She said firmly, guiding Howl back out of his room and down the hallway, her fingers were trembling in spite of her furious state and Howl couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfully as he was led into the bathroom and his hand abandoned so that Sophie could get to the cabinets and the boxes on the shelves.

"Where on earth do you keep the bandages?" she fumed, opening the cabinets beneath the sink and then above.

"In that box on the shelf to your left." Howl pointed out, Sophie pulling it down in seconds and removing the roll of clean bandages. She couldn't remember seeing them before when she cleaned the bathroom as an old woman…maybe he summoned some up to take care of the secret wound. A fine job he did on it and most of all, he had lied to her and said he was alright!

Having him sit on the edge of the tub, Sophie dropped to her knees, the bathroom floor chilling her knees through her nightgown and sending a chill up and down her spine as she held onto the roll of bandages and dug through the remaining contents of the box.

"Take off your shirt." She mumbled, not looking as he pulled it over his head.

"You should have told me you we hurt the moment you got home. That is one of the rules of being in a marriage, Howl. Honesty, in fact that is number one on the list!"

She unwound the loose bandages and set to work on the cut that ran from his hip to the middle of his back, it seemed shallow enough to not be fatal but deep enough to make Sophie mutter to herself in a rage and pinch Howl's side as punishment for lying to her. She muttered about obedience and loyalty along with honesty and trust as she wrapped the new bandage around him taught but not enough to squeeze him and cut off his circulation.

Gathering up his shirt from where he had put it on the floor, she held it up to him.

"I can't do anything about blood stains…so I'll leave this to you for clean—"

Howl rested his fingertips over her lips, his head lowered with his bangs hiding his eyes from her as his shoulders shook a little.

"I didn't want you to see them." He chortled, "I knew that you had a lot on your mind, Sophie…so I decided to take care of myself, like I used to."

"Fine job you did." She said; frowning but her cheeks were starting to burn as Howl lifted his head, catching her eyes.

"Can you forgive me?" he asked innocently.

Sophie turned her face away. "You worried me even more by not telling me." She said stiffly, standing up and smoothing down her nightgown again, her cheeks pink but her eyes closed and nose turned up slightly. Howl grinning as he too stood up and took her hands in his.

"Will you still sleep with me?"

"Howl!" she flushed deeper.

"I mean sleep next to me, in my bed." He laughed, "Complete innocence!"

She swiped her hands from his and folded her arms, turning her back to him; mostly to regaine her bearings rather then expose her anger. Howl tried to peer around from behind her but she turned her face away.

"Come now, Sophie…"

Feeling his fingers slip into one of her hands, she released her arms and gave into him like the sap she had become ever since she said "I do". She followed him back out of the bathroom, the lantern that had been left lit inside went out in a whisper of magic and the couple disappeared back behind Howl's door. This time Howl wasn't going to wake her, not even if Markl was pounding at the door saying the prince was there. Sophie was his and his alone. He wanted to make that perfectly clear tonight and the Witch of the Waste gave him exactly what he needed. A little boost in the right direction by reminding him that he was married now and if so desired…he had the potential to make Markl not the only child in the house.

Sophie climbed into the bed again, burying herself beneath the covers before Howl could even begin to dig for another shirt to wear. It was awfully uncomfortable to sleep in pants (as he had experienced earlier when he coaxed Sophie into going to be early) so without a shirt, he would not have much cover and therefore, making his wife nervous.

All the more reason why he abandoned the idea and hopped onto the mattress still in his pants and still maintaining his childish personality as he pulled the covers over his own head and wriggling down until he could turn on his side and see Sophie curled into a ball, peering over her hands at him with a gaze that betrayed her former anger and revealed her timid side once again. She wasn't expecting him to climb in shirtless.

Surprise!

"Don't be scared, I told you I wouldn't do anything, didn't I? So don't worry so much."

Sophie sighed, "Okay…"

"That's my girl."

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So, here is your second chapter, my friend. It took me long enough to post it, but it's there. I hope it was ok, since I didn't proofread it, just cave it a title and a little A/N to take up space. Next chapter will be the one you were waiting for. I hope it turns out ok. I hope those who are reading this are enjoying the story! Until next time then! 


	3. In Which Sophie Allows

((Well, you made it, this is the chapter where Sophie and Howl FINALLY do things that married people do. I hate writing love scenes but as I said, this fic is for my friend so she'll just have to deal with what I got. YOU HEAR ME BRIDGET! Ha, ha…just kidding. Love ya, Buddy! ))

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**_In Which Sophie Allows_**

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"You're going back out there!"

Sophie glared at the wizard standing fully dressed with the exception of shoes and ready to head out the door supposedly after he said his goodbyes.

"Now, now, Sophie, I'm a big boy, I can handle a little more war." Howl held up his hands as Sophie flung the covers away, climbing out of the bed so that she would at least have a little height to add to her cause.

Howl recoiled back a step as Sophie stood directly in front of him with her hands on her hips and looking utterly furious with him, her hair tousled and a few red lines were still on her cheek from how she slept the previous night. It was hard not to laugh at how silly she looked but with the mood she was in now…it was suddenly made easy not to laugh at her.

"First you come home wounded, then you don't tell me about it, and now you're saying you're going back out there! Howl, are you trying to make me have a heart-attack? If I were still an old woman, I would have had one by now and then where would you be?"

"Without a housekeeper?" he asked.

Sophie's mouth dropped open, "W-Well then, maybe I _should_ die!"

"No!" Howl said quickly, his eyes wide; Sophie was rendered silent, staring at her husband in shock at his sudden cry. "Don't die…not on purpose."

She folded her arms but still eyed him warily, "I was only saying—"

"Don't say it." He suggested, "If you died, I would die."

Reaching over, Howl took her hand and she dropped her other arm as he brought her over to him, "I told you before, Sophie…you've made a contract with me the day you broke Calcifer's…my heart is in your hands and if your heart stops, mine stops with it. We'll both be dead as a doornail."

He gripped her hand, Sophie was once again falling prey to Howl's undeniable charm, she was melting, nothing but a puddle at his feet now. She was flushed, anger not longer a part of it since Howl always managed to butter her up when things got too heated between them. Sure there were times when he would push the envelope too far but as long as she remembered the last time she left the castle, she would cool down enough to force Howl into an apology and they would be done with it.

"You're just trying to butter me up…" she murmured, averting her eyes.

"I would do no such thing." He said, turning her face back to him and regaining her eyes.

"Oh you wouldn't…" she eyed him skeptically.

Howl smiled, glancing up at the door and then back down at Sophie, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her forehead. Markl wouldn't be up for a while now…not after staying up so late the previous night. If he was going to go back out to the battlefield, he wanted to know if there would be someone at home waiting for him to return with another hope outside of the war coming to an end.

Pulling Sophie against him, Howl laid her head beneath his, resting his cheek upon her hair and managing to take in a deep breath, inhaling the scent that only Sophie could smell of with a little trace of himself in her as well. Pointing at the little lantern bolted to his wall, the flame grew weaker and extinguished; two more to go if Sophie didn't catch him…

"What are you doing?" Sophie sensed it…something was going on…

"Nothing." He chimed, "Just putting out the lamps…they won't be necessary."

"Necessary for what?" she asked warily.

"I can't surprise you, can I?" he sighed, lifting his head off of hers and tilting it to the side, catching Sophie's gaze. "Are you still angry that I have to go back out there?"

"That goes without asking." She murmured but her frustration had long since died away.

Howl chuckled, leaning down and once again kissing her forehead, "Can you forgive me?" he whispered, touching his lips to her temple and then her cheek.

Sophie felt a chill run down her spine. "W-Well…that all depends…on whether or not you go."

Howl didn't stop, he brushed his cheek over hers and tipped his head even more, kissing her neck just below her jaw for the first time, the collar of her plain dress had always prevented that before but now he managed to take advantage of the much more lenient nightgown.

"H-Howl—"

Sophie closed her eyes, swallowing as she felt his mouth press against her neglected neck. She had always been kissed on her face…why was he kissing her neck? Why were her insides being twisted into knots from nerves at this situation? Howl was her husband after all; she could trust him, right? The wizard's hands smoothed out the wrinkles in the nightgown as he smoothed them over her back; each caress was making Sophie shiver from the unfamiliar touch she was suddenly receiving.

"I-I can't embrace you…" she said as he lifted his kiss from her flesh, "Y-Your wounded…I can't hold you."

"I can fix that." He smiled, "Here…" Taking her hands, Howl looped them around his neck, resting his own on her waist and drawing her near to him, "Better?"

She didn't answer, rather she bowed her head; pressing it into his collarbone.

"I'm scared…"

"What?" he sounded puzzled.

"I'm scared." She repeated, "Of this…of you leaving…Howl, I'm just…_terrified_."

Chuckling, Howl patted her head a little, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "You shouldn't be." He said gently, "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm nervous too."

She lifted her head, "You're nervous?"

He arched an eyebrow, "Of course I am; do you not believe me?"

"I-I just thought you were used to this." Sophie said; shocked to hear that the womanizing Wizard Howl was saying that he was nervous…then again…he _was_ a coward.

"Feel." He said, taking one of her hand and pressing it onto his chest. "Do you feel that?"

Sophie remembered this sensation…feeling Howl's heart beating in the palm of her hand…the faint beats were worrying her and she had to put it back into him if she wanted him to live…but now the organ was beating quite well, in fact it was pounding about as hard as hers was.

"I'm not "used to this" Sophie." He said, his expression appearing a little more serious.

She gripped his shirt where he had her hand pressed to his chest.

"Does that make you feel better?"

She nodded slowly.

"Alright then, moving along!" he said cheerily, tilting her face up.

"Whoa—"

Sophie was cut off, her mouth capped off by Howl's, his kiss moving her and making her eyes drift shut once again, her racing heart beat near his and she could have sworn she heard them beating together beyond the sounds of Howl's hands running over fabrics and the creaks of their feet on the floor.

Howl parted his lips and peered down at her, taking a step backward and she followed him like a timid little girl being led by an older brother, only Howl wasn't her brother…Howl was her husband and this was not a time of pure innocence, especially not when she saw where he was guiding her. She hesitated, holding her position after two little steps and looked at the floor stubbornly but shakily. Howl tugged gently on her hands and she obeyed his call, letting him lead her over and they sat down on the edge of Howl's mattress.

Lowering her head a little, Sophie rested it upon Howl's shoulder as he stroked her cheek and pushed his hand back, combing his fingers into her hair until they reached the restricting braid. He kissed her forehead and reached behind her, pulling the band off and slipping his fingers between the braids and loosening them out until Sophie's hair was loose and he spread out the wavy strands.

As he stroked her hair, Sophie reached up, gripping Howl's arm with a trembling fist.

"It's just another first…" he said gently.

"I know…we're experiencing a lot of them together…aren't we?" she asked wearily, letting him tilt her head back, his lips brushing over her jaw and then her neck. The brushes of warmth couldn't calm her, nor could they unknot her insides as she worried about what the future held. Maybe she could jab her finger into his side on "accident" and make him stop…but that would hurt him and she didn't want to hurt him…

_He said he was nervous but he seems pretty confident…_

A slight pressure on her shoulder pushed her back until she was lying back on the mattress, the twisted covers uncomfortable beneath her back and making her writhe restrictedly since Howl was partially on top of her now, her own hands were starting to run up his arms and brace against his chest, pushing against him when his teeth would accidentally graze her neck.

"Sorry, sorry…" he smiled, leaving her neck alone, "Did it hurt?"

"No…I was just startled." She said, covering her neck.

The wizard extended an arm and the remaining lamps extinguished, Sophie and Howl cast in darkness. Sophie's eyes darted everywhere, she couldn't see Howl, and her eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness and all she could see was a white blotch in her vision from the fading light.

She groped for Howl, wanting to make sure that he was still with her in the darkness and she found him, his hand taking hers and lacing his fingers with hers, assuring her that she wasn't alone in the darkness. She could see the vague silhouette of Howl now, the splotch gone from her eyes and she could feel Howl close to her body, an arm beneath her and pulling her up, arching her back.

Slipping her arm around him, she clung to him and he chuckled softly, stroking her trembling frame.

"It's alright, little mouse…"

She sighed, there was something tingling in the back of her mind, strange warmth that was spreading over her, washing away the chill of nerves and bathing her in a calming sensation that stayed her hands and she relaxed her grip on the wizard. Was he casting a spell on her to help calm her down or was this some kind of controlling spell that made her unable to move on her own and she was being manipulated by Howl?

Sophie flexed her fingers and turned her hand over to make sure she still had control of her body and then she was gripping Howl again, she felt his hand on her stomach, on her flesh! She gasped, instinctively trying to move out from under him; tension flooding back into her but Howl hushed her, smoothing his fingertips over her belly and eventually his palm rested gently over it.

"You're okay." He whispered soothingly, "You're fine…"

"I-I am not fine." She protested weakly.

"Sophie…" he sighed, Sophie stiffening when she thought she heard a hint of frustration. "You told me that one of the rules to marriage…is trust. I'm asking _you_ to trust _me_."

Sophie closed her eyes, she trusted him, even though he tested it quite a bit before…

Swallowing her nerves and opening her eyes again, Sophie felt for Howl's face and found his cheek, guiding his face to her and lifting her head from the mattress, she found his lips, holding the back of his head to keep him from pulling away if he really was frustrated with her.

_I love you; Howl…this is all I can do for you so…I'll do it._

* * *

Howl was taken aback by Sophie's kiss; she hadn't been the first one to kiss him for some time now…it was nice…to be kissed by Sophie again. The first time was so long ago it seemed…

Hugging Sophie tightly, Howl kissed her deeply, earning a muffled sound of surprise from his desire to deepen it so quickly but she didn't push him away, her body relaxed again under him and he knew that she had given him the permission he had been seeking.

Trailing a hand down her waist, he slipped his hand beneath her bunched up nightgown, smoothing his hand over the warm flesh again, tracing the curve of her body and reaching up, cupping her shoulder, the smooth feel of her skin feeling wonderful to his touch. He wanted to see it…

Lifting himself off of her, he sat her up again, Sophie looking at him a little perplexed until he took fistfuls of her nightgown in his hands and she lowered her head, her face flushing but she timidly wriggled her arms out of her sleeves and folded them over her chest as he pulled the garment over her head. She kept her gaze off to the side, hunching her shoulders. It would only be fair that he was half naked as well and removed his shirt, not feeling much her equal due to the bandages around his torso but it was enough for him to catch Sophie peering over at him before she turned her face away again.

"I was wondering if you ever wore those bloomers." He laughed, pointing at the pant-like undergarments covering her from the waist to her calves, the bottoms laces and tipped with blue ribbons. "I suppose I was right in buying them for you after all."

A small smile curved her lips.

"Ah, at last a smile." He mused, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Leaning close again he brushed his lips over her ear, "You're beautiful…"

Sophie closed her eyes, lowering her head, her arms slowly released and lowered themselves, Howl reaching across but touching her arm, "Come here…"

He scooted further onto the bed and laid back, tugging her back with him so that she lay on top of him, her entire body stiffening as she felt flesh on flesh. Howl's hands on her back and her eyes going to the wound hiding beneath the bandage.

"Its fine, the wound hasn't opened." He assured her, running his hands up her back and over her shoulder blades, pulling her so that she was flat against him, able to wrap his arms around her and hold her stationary.

"This feels awkward…" she murmured.

"You'll get used to it."

"Will I?"

"Yes."

Howl suddenly stiffened and titled his head back, averting his eyes, releasing Sophie and she pushed herself up, looking down at him puzzled.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's…nothing." He said, sounding a bit uncomfortable.

"Is it your wound?" she looked at it but he quickly turned her face so that she was looking in his eyes.

"Don't look. It's embarrassing…"

The couple lay there in an awkward silence as it sank in and Sophie realized what was going on...she was grateful that Howl stopped her from looking. Her cheeks were on fire now and sat up, drawing up her knees for the comforting feel of cloth. She had made Howl…excited. Her, Sophie, a plain girl...HOW WAS THAT POSSIBLE!

Sophie pondered on this While Howl too sat up, pressing his hands into the mattress to keep himself propped up as he looked at Sophie's bare back. She was so cute…

Climbing off the bed, Howl unfastened his pants. He couldn't handle the discomfort and the pants were causing more then they were worth. Sophie would just have to forgive him if it was too soon for her taste but he hated being uncomfortable and erections were a bother…

"If you don't want to be shocked again, I suggest you don't look." He mused, Sophie glancing over her shoulder, keeping her eyes North when she had realized he stood up and when he moved she turned her face away so fast her neck screamed with the threat of snapping.

The mattress sank under Howl's weight as he climbed back on, Sophie watched the covers tense under her and she shifted, allowing Howl to pull them out from under her and cover himself, wriggling until he was laying down with his head resting on the pillow.

He offered a hand.

"Join me?"

Sophie sighed out another wave of nerves, taking the hand and crawling onto the mattress before sitting sown and pulling the other half of the covers up over her legs and to her chest. She stayed sitting up for a moment, holding the blankets secure over herself be fore she gave the foot of the bed a determined look and laid down, wriggling beneath the covers and earning a puzzled look from Howl until she pulled something out from under their blankets…her bloomers.

"Gaining confidence are we?" he asked, amused as she rested them aside and tugged the covers to her shoulders, turning on her side so that she faced him.

"I had determination as an old woman, I can have a little backbone now." She said, her forced determination making her face look funny and Howl laughed. Sophie stifled herself until she too laughed and they continued to laugh even when Howl scooted closer to her and eventually rolled on top of her, pressing her into the mattress. She held him carefully on either side of his torso and looked up at him, her laugh ebbing away as the wizard stared down at her thoughtfully.

"Well, we made it." He said, sighing a little.

"I'm sorry I took so long…" she murmured but managed to hold onto her courage, still smiling up at him.

"No need to apologize. You're my wife aren't you?"

"Yes but before that I was your old mother." She said, earning a silly look on Howl's face as he wrinkled his nose.

"This is it…" he said finally, "You ready?"

Howl shifted so that he was on his knees as Sophie pushed herself up a little, her back pressing into the pillows, her legs finding the unfamiliar presence of Howl in between them.

"I trust you."

Bending down, Howl kissed her lips, their eyes closed and Sophie holding her breath for both his kiss and what was to come. She tried to focus on the taste of Howl in her mouth, his tongue gentle on hers and consuming her concentration until she felt it…

Something invaded her in a quick thrust, she uttered a cry into Howl's mouth, making him part his lips from hers but not withdraw as he braced himself over her, his arms on either side of her, his head bending down as he moved again.

"O-Ow—"

Sophie bit off her words, not that she wanted to be rude but…it hurt!

She could hear Howl's breathing growing harsh as he started to move into a rhythm she couldn't understand mentally but her body seemed to naturally know as she felt herself being rocked with him, her hands gripping the bedspread for an anchor at first and then clinging to Howl's shoulders. With each thrust she felt herself tense up and her own breathing was starting to become ragged, one of Howl's hands taking hers when her nails started to bite into his shoulder and he kissed her palm, touching it to his cheek as they rocked.

Neither of them knew how many times they cried out, nor how long it happened or when the climax was met, all they knew was that Howl was coming on strong one moment and then slowing and finally releasing. Sophie thought she heard herself squeak like a mouse as he moved one last time, the erection inside of her suddenly warm and she felt something else inside of her that she didn't want to know what it was. All they knew was that Howl separated himself from her shortly afterwards, slumping down on top of Sophie in a mass of deep breathes.

He kissed her collarbone and then her neck gently before they touched their lips together briefly, unable to hold it since both of them needed their mouths to breathe at that time. Pants shaking their bodies and weariness riding through their limbs.

It didn't take as long as Howl thought it would…they have procrastinated for so long that he thought it would last for hours, but what Howl didn't realize was that the human body could only take so much. It would take multiple times to fill up the timeline in _his_ mind.

Sophie on the other hand was relieved that it didn't last for long, but after he had stopped was when she felt the best, lying there with her eyes closed and seeing the falling stars dancing around her and Howl. She wrapped her arms around him, craning her neck and placing a kiss on his shoulder before letting her head drop again.

"Were you…disappointed?" she asked finally when they managed to regulate their breathing and Howl had taken his place beside her again, her body fitted against his.

"No. Should I be?" he asked, lifting his head with the same childish questioning in his voice.

"No…I was just curious…"

"Sophie…you'll never be a disappointment to me. Ever..."

* * *

((Sorry if the whole love scene was a disappointment. I'm terrible at writing them so I try and keep them short to lessen my embarrassment…)) 


	4. In Which Markl Is Not Pleased

* * *

**_In Which Markl Is Not Pleased_**

* * *

"Master Howl, something's wrong. Sophie's been acting different recently!"

Howl looked up from the spell he was working on, his apprentice only a few inches from his face due to how far the child was leaning over the table.

"Different?" Howl asked, arching an eyebrow, "How so?"

"She's been really tired a lot." Markl said, smacking his hands on the table, "Its been going on since this week started. She's also looking really pale in the mornings."

Resting the molar on the table, Howl folded his arms, peering up towards the ceiling for a time, Markl followed his gaze but saw nothing but a cobweb Sophie had neglected due to her recent strange behavior.

Neither of the men heard a sound from the room above, it was as still as it had been earlier and even the crackling of the real fire in the hearth hardly disturbed the silence as the two males stared up into the rafters. Markl was still curious why his master looked up in the first place.

"Markl...finish off this spell for me. I'm going to go see what's the matter."

The apprentice nodded and picked up where the wizard left off just as Howl wondered towards the staircase and ascended up them quickly considering his rather calm exterior. He turned off the steps and stepped up to his bedroom door.

Lifting a hand, he knocked softly as a warning before entering and was greeted by a rustle of sheets and he saw the blankets sink down about the form of his hiding bride.

"Sophie?"

She mumbled something.

"Now, Sophie…what's the matter?" he asked, approaching the bed that was once his own and was now both his and his cleaning lady's…not that he minded…

The wizard curled his fingers about some of the fabrics, drawing them away from her and seeing the young wife holding her knees, concealing her bare chest that was only covered in a sheen of sweat. He touched her back as he sank onto the side of their bed, her skin was clammy with nerves and he could tell that she was worried about something and she wasn't telling him about it.

"Sophie? Are you sick again?" he asked, brushing her bangs away from her sweaty brow. "Pretty clammy…"

"I'm alright…just…I haven't been feeling well." She said, turning her face away, touching her forehead.

"Are you certain?"

She nodded, pushing herself up and meeting her husband's gaze with her own.

"I need my nightgown…"

"Aren't you hot? You're covered in sweat after all…"

Sophie shook her head as Howl eyed her with a glimmer of concern as he reached down and removed her nightgown from the floor, handing it to her slowly.

"Markl is worried about you…you have been acting strangely all week after all..." he pointed out as she pulled the fabric over her head, yanking it down over herself securely and shifting into a sitting position.

"Can you blame me for being unable to face him immediately?" she asked, smiling wryly, "I feel so…strange now that…well, you know…"

The rising color on her cheeks made him chuckle.

"I understand, you're embarrassed." He reached over and pulled her toward him a little, kissing her forehead and then resting his brow against her own, "Don't worry about it so much. We made love like married people do."

Sophie closed her eyes, "How can you say it so easily?" she groaned.

"I'm a man and I'm vulgar." He chuckled.

Sophie pushed him away but she was not succeeding in hiding the smile that crept across her lips.

After a moment, Howl noticed that Sophie's smile was fading and she was beginning to look panicked. She started to climb to the edge of the bed and swung off past Howl. Standing, she steadied herself a moment before covering her mouth with her palm, closing her eyes as she took a few deep breaths, air hissing through her cupped hand.

Howl was barely able to stand before Sophie suddenly ran out of the room, the door slamming into the wall in her effort to push it out of the way. The wizard managed to move the swinging door aside and follow her but was met by the slamming of the bathroom door and the sound of the shower running immediately afterwards.

"Is she alright?"

Howl glanced over his shoulder as his apprentice paused on the stairs, peering up at Howl with concern all across his face. IT was obvious that the child was worried about Sophie and even the wizard Howl could see how sweet it was for the boy to worry about his motherly figure so much.

Stepping away from the door, the cowardly wizard turned to Markl, bracing his hands on his hips and smiling. "Markl…have you ever given much thought to the idea of becoming a sibling of some sort?"

"A sibling?"

"You know…having a brother or a sister around…"

Markl's eyes widened.

"Is that what's the matter with Sophie?" he asked, Howl uncertain that he was hearing any kind of emotion in the child's voice.

"The Witch of the Waste was able to predict it before myself, which is rather insulting to me since I have a reputation for being a powerful wizard to uphold…but I suspected that Sophie would have a child eventually…I suppose I simply speeded up the process last week…" he rubbed his chin a moment, "Looks like our family is only going to keep growing, Markl…I hope you're prepared."

Looking down at the stairs, Markl nodded slowly. "So Sophie is going to have a baby?"

Howl looked back at the door a moment, "I didn't know women experienced some ill effects from it though…but if it really is the process necessary for a developing baby…then I think this calls for some excitement!"

* * *

Markl moved out of the way as Howl descended the stairs past him, he managed to catch the look of utter happiness on the wizard's face as he wondered downstairs but in spite of this wonderful news to the father…Markl wasn't feeling very pleased…in fact, there were thoughts running through his mind that made him resent the news more and more.

_A baby, huh? It's great…for them…but if Sophie has a baby, then Howl might not want to teach me magic anymore since he'll be doting over it all the time…and Sophie's attention will be stolen every hour of every day. All a baby knows how to do is want…I'll have to deal with those wants…horrible smelling diapers…mushy baby food in stead of bacon and eggs every morning…then there's the crying. I heard from villagers that babies are up all night, crying for things they don't know if they need…and it carries no matter how big the house is…it keeps you up all night and all day the next day._

Markl frowned at the idea of sitting up 24/7 with a screaming baby as company just so the happy couple could get some down time together. He was no babysitter…they weren't going to make him be one…

Stepping up to the door, Markl ignored Howl's merrymaking downstairs, hardly even noticing the explosion of the potion that they had been working on and was neglected in the time they were away. He pressed his ear against the door and listened but only heard the sound of running water.

"Don't worry, Sophie…you're not pregnant…you're just a little sick." He murmured to the door. "Just a little sick…"

* * *

_((Sorry to disappoint, Markl...but Sophie IS pregnant and you'll just have to deal with it. Heh, Heh..._

_So, what do you think? I'd say..."It's an update." and shrug but that's just me. I hope that no one is angry that I took so long to update. Writer's Block is a horrible thing and I've been working so things have been rather hectic. Please Review or I won't finish the story.))_


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